


threat of joy

by spectrespecs



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff and Humor, Happy Ending, M/M, Mutual Pining, POV Outsider, Post-Time Skip, chaos agents atsumu and hoshiumi, ushisaku get by with a little help from their friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:41:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28988658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spectrespecs/pseuds/spectrespecs
Summary: Atsumu thinks Hoshiumi and he need to be good friends and teammates by helping Ushijima and Sakusa stop pining and confess to each other already. This appears to be a much harder task than either of them thought it would be.
Relationships: Sakusa Kiyoomi/Ushijima Wakatoshi
Comments: 22
Kudos: 74





	threat of joy

**Author's Note:**

> This is my ode to Atsumu and Hoshiumi being good dudes who just want to help the people who they care about but are a little chaotic in the process. Also, I have an Atsumu and Hoshiumi friendship agenda.
> 
> Title from [Threat of Joy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJNgvS-sA-s&ab_channel=Noisey) by The Strokes.
> 
> All my life is owed to [Jade](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiedbows/pseuds/tiedbows).
> 
> Blows a kiss to Ushisaku Nation. May we thrive.

Miya Atsumu carries a burden around his neck—the burden of knowing that his teammate has been in love since he was 13-years-old with one of the players they’re holding joint practice with. One fateful party at Hinata’s place a few months ago ended with Sakusa downing a few more drinks than usual and getting a bit looser with his lips as well, and that’s when he turned to Atsumu and informed him of this earth-shattering information.

“Atsumu, did you know that I’ve been in love with Wakatoshi-kun since I was 13?” Sakusa spoke the words as if he was reciting his cleaning regiment, which is to say with great care and adoration, and then he walked over to where the aforementioned Ushijima was talking to Hoshiumi.

Atsumu was left standing there dumbfounded, staring around to see if anyone else had heard, but they had not. At first, Atsumu thought he should go to Kageyama and ask if he knew anything about Ushijima’s feelings for Sakusa, but then he decided the other setter is too in love with volleyball that he will never understand any conversation about romance. Now, it’s the first day of joint Schweiden and MSBY practice, and Atsumu has a new idea.

“Hey, Hoshi-kun,” Atsumu walks over to where Hoshiumi is leaning against a wall during the break. “I have a question.”

“Shoot, Tsum-Tsum,” Hoshi uses the nickname that Bokuto told him to use for Atsumu, and now Atsumu has two bird boys in his life calling him that.

“Do you think Ushiwaka and Omi-kun like each other?” 

Hoshiumi pushes away from the wall and looks up at Atsumu with his wide and hopeful eyes. “You see it too, right?”

Atsumu sighs in relief. “Yeah, they’re always moonin’ over each other, and Omi-kun doesn’t talk about anyone else like he does Ushijima-san.” Atsumu pauses for a moment wondering if he should reveal the secret piece of information he has. “One time at a party Omi-kun actually drank enough to get tipsy. You know what he told me? That he’s been in love with Ushijima since he was 13-years-old. Can you believe that?”

Hoshiumi’s jaw drops at the revelation. “I just thought the way Ushijima talks about Sakusa being so incredible and talented and never shutting up about it was a sign. But that. No way he’s exaggerating, right?”

“No way,” Atsumu shakes his head. 

The two stare over to the side of the gym where Ushijima and Sakusa are standing close and speaking to each other. Atsumu assumes they’re talking about volleyball or cleaning products, but Atsumu also knows he’s generalizing and that the two aces speak a language all their own, with conversations Atsumu won’t begin to try and understand. Sakusa tucks a stray curl behind his ear, and Ushijima watches the action with soft eyes following the movement. It’s disgustingly cute. 

“Gross, they’re in love,” Hoshiumi groans and takes a drink of water. 

“We have to do something,” Atsumu declares. “They’re our teammates and friends, it’s the right thing to do.”

“No, we don’t,” Hoshiumi shakes his head fervently, sending all his hair to stand up on little short spikes. 

Hinata and Bokuto run past Ushijima and Sakusa, yelling something about how the loser has to buy the winner a week’s worth of meat. What the competition is, who knows, but Hinata manages to stumble and almost fall into Ushijima, who would be absolutely fine having the bundle of pure energy fall on him, but Sakusa reaches out nonetheless to grab Hinata from falling. 

“Oh, sorry, Ushiwaka, Omi-san!” Hinata yells before taking off again to follow Bokuto out of the gym. Their coaches yell something about how the two need to return in five minutes. 

Ushijima, meanwhile, has pulled out hand sanitizer from his gym shorts’ pocket and is offering it to Sakusa, who is gazing at the travel size bottle as if Ushijima has just handed him every star in the sky. 

“You’re right,” Hoshiumi sighs, defeated. “We have to do something.”

“Damn right I’m right,” Atsumu grunts watching Ushijima squeeze the contents into Sakusa’s hands. 

“What should we do?” Hoshiumi asks. 

“Why don’t we just tell ‘em?” Atsumu turns to look at the Adlers’ player. “Just go up to one of ‘em and say ‘hey guess who likes you’ or somethin’ like that?”

“This isn’t middle school,” Hoshiumi rolls his eyes at Atsumu. “That won’t work.”

“Yeah, it will, I’ll prove it to ya!” Atsumu fights back. 

“It’s not going to work!” Hoshiumi argues again. 

“Yes, it will!”

The two square up in their corner of the court and puff their chests in some tragic attempted show of superiority. Hoshiumi starts to jump slightly to get into Atsumu’s level, but before they can escalate, Meian comes over to ask Hoshiumi a question about his leg training. 

Hinata and Bokuto return from whatever it is the two of them were competing over outside—apparently it involved climbing a tree—and practice resumes for the two teams. Atsumu lets volleyball draw him away from thinking about the abysmal love life of his teammate, but then he sees the way Sakusa smiles at Ushijima through the net after receiving one of his hard spikes and gets sent spiraling again with the need to do  _ something,  _ anything, for these two oblivious lovebirds. 

At their next break, miraculously, Ushijima and Sakusa do not drift together as they tend to, so Atsumu makes a signal at Hoshiumi to announce that the plan is being set into motion. Belatedly Atsumu realizes he never told Hoshiumi about the sign, which is just a thumbs up, so he goes over to tell him. 

“I’m gonna do it, Hoshi-kun, I’m gonna ask Omi about Ushijima-san!” there’s a bounce in his step as he informs Hoshiumi. 

“Try and be subtle! And don’t just go straight into it! You have to make it happen organically, yeah?” Hoshiumi nods forcefully as he talks. “Don’t mess this up!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Atsumu rolls his shoulders as if he’s about to serve during a game. “I got this.”

Atsumu crosses the gym to where Sakusa and Meian are now speaking to each other. “Hey, Omi-omi, can I talk to you about somethin’?” 

“Go ahead, boys,” Meian nods and walks away leaving the two alone. 

“What is it?” Sakusa narrows his eyes at Atsumu. 

“So, uh,” Atsumu remembers Hoshiumi’s words. “What kind of things do ya like?”

“What do you mean?” Sakusa deadpans. 

“I mean, like, what do you enjoy? Cleaning products? Cake, maybe? Ushijima-san?” Atsumu mentally kicks himself for jumping to the point so fast. Hoshiumi would be so disappointed. 

“Wakatoshi-kun?” Sakusa’s eyebrows raise. 

“Yeah, you, uh, like him, yeah?” Atsumu attempts to keep the conversation going smoothly. 

“He is my friend,” Sakusa states, but there’s a blush creeping up his cheeks. 

Atsumu nods. “But ya  _ like _ like him, too, don’t ya?”

“He is my friend,” Sakusa repeats. 

“Come on, Omi-omi! You told me yerself! At that party! Yer in love with him!” Atsumu is just beneath flailing at this point. 

To his surprise, Sakusa punches him. Not hard, and just in the shoulder. It would come off playfully to anyone observing them, but Atsumu knows it’s anything but given the dangerous look in Sakusa’s eyes. 

“I have no idea what you mean. I told you, Wakatoshi-kun is my friend, and we have known each other since I was 13,” Sakusa moves away. “Now, excuse me, please.” Sakusa retreats to where the stairs to the further bathrooms are that no one uses. 

Okay, so that was a bust. Hoshiumi runs over to Atsumu.

“Saw you fail.”

“Shut yer trap! Like you’d do any better!” Atsumu argues.

“I would!” Hoshiumi scowls. “Watch.”

He pushes his water bottle into Atstumu’s hands for no real reason and marches over to where Ushijma is standing alone, a little off to the side from where Bokuto is demonstrating some new stretch. Atsumu watches as Hoshiumi approaches his teammate and gets into conversation with him. Ushijima doesn’t look offended to have to talk to Hoshiumi like Sakusa does when Atsumu tries to say anything to him, and Atsumu is convinced that’s somehow cheating and Atsumu is working at a disadvantage here. 

He doesn’t have to bemoan this long before Ushijima’s eyebrows rise and he starts shaking his head looking almost panicked before he bows and leaves Hoshiumi to join Bokuto and Hinata on the floor to stretch. Ushijima must have really wanted out of the conversation.

When Hoshiumi returns to Atsumu, he looks at him with determination. “We need a phase two plan.”

\---

_ miyaa: I have an idea _

Atsumu texts Hoshiumi because he needs his partner in crime to help with Operation Ushijima and Sakusa Are In Love. 

_ hoshiumik: What? _

_ miyaa: Bokuto’s bday party _

_ hoshiumik: I’m game  _

Atsumu does have an idea. It involves recreating the magic of the party where a tipsy Sakusa first revealed his feelings for Ushijima, and this time Atsumu wants to make sure that Sakusa tells Ushijima as well. The Adlers have a game in Kobe that should end at the right time to let Hoshiumi do his part of the plan to time his, Ushijima, and Kageyama’s arrival just enough to make sure that Atsumu stays by Sakusa’s side. Sakusa doesn’t drink a lot at these parties, which makes sense with how much of a lightweight it seems he is with alcohol, but he usually paces himself. Atsumu just has to sit back and watch Sakusa go about his party participation and make sure he can guide him to Ushijima when the opportunity strikes. 

It’s been an hour, and Sakusa has taken one shot at Bokuto and Hinata’s insistence. Atsumu is now pouring out shots for Akaashi, Bokuto, Sakusa, and himself. Bokuto had appeared at his and Sakusa’s side asking them to take another birthday shot with him. Sakusa acquiesced when Akaashi, who Sakusa respects a great deal, politely had asked as well for them to join. Concealing any elation he feels over the plan already being set perfectly into motion by an unknowing Akaashi, Atsumu downs his shot and doesn’t even feel the burn because his mind is focused on the next steps talking to Sakusa and waiting for the arrival of the Adlers trio. 

After the group shot, the four’s conversation drifts to their plans during the upcoming short break from practice that the teams will be having soon. Akaashi and Bokuto are going on a late anniversary trip involving multiple onsens because Bokuto couldn’t decide on one, and Akaashi is stupidly in love with him. 

“What about you, Omi-kun?” Atsumu turns to Sakusa. “Do you have plans for the break?” Sakusa had been quiet about anything he might be getting up to during their upcoming time off, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity for Atsumu to ask and find out. Maybe even consider guiding Sakusa to the idea of spending it with Ushijima. 

Sakusa looks startled when asked. “Nothing,” he answers quickly.

“Aww, come on, Omi-Omi, I doubt yer going to spend two weeks just holed up in your apartment the entire time,” Atsumu teases.

“That is exactly what I plan on doing,” Sakusa looks away, frowning and crossing his arms. 

“Really, all alone?” Atsumu questions, wading into possible dangerous territory.

“Who else would I spend it with?” Sakusa narrows his eyes.

“Family!” Bokuto exclaims. “My sisters and I go on trips a lot, too, and with our parents. You have older siblings, too, don’t you?”

“I do, but they’re all busy right now,” Sakusa tells them. “We have been on the occasional family trip before, though.”

“Maybe you could go see them? Just drop by for a visit!” Bokuto continues to offer ideas for Sakusa.

Atsumu lets the two of them talk about family trips they’ve been on, allowing Sakusa to get more comfortable with the alcohol he’s consumed. Any second now, Atsumu will be able to strike and get things going in a more interesting direction. A break in the conversation finally happens, and Atsumu jumps. 

“Or,” Atsumu starts, “you could be like Bokuto and Akaashi here and take a romantic trip with someone, Omi-kun. You have yer eyes on anyone?” Atsumu smirks, knowing he caught Sakusa.

Silence settles between the four of them as the sounds of the party go on around them. Sakusa’s eyes focus on Atsumu with a look that most definitely could kill. 

"Why would I have eyes on anyone?" Sakusa replies, voice void of emotion.

Atsumu feels panicked momentarily at the chilly response, but he perseveres. "Oh, I don't know much about your personal life, Omi-kun, so I thought maybe you have someone to whisk away on trips together who you might go somewhere with during the break."

"I don't," Sakusa's tone remains flat.

"Really?" Atsumu keeps pushing, knowing his luck is probably in a precarious place right now. He glances over at Bokuto and Akaashi, who are still standing there watching this exchange go down. "Any crushes?"

"Crushes?" Sakusa sounds disgusted at the mere idea of having feelings for someone else in such a childish way. 

"Ya know, like you like someone?" Atsumu wonders if it's the alcohol making everything seem brighter in the room or the fact Sakusa Kiyoomi is about to murder him, so he's already seeing the afterlife call to him.

Sakusa frowns. "I don't like anyone."

"Oh, we know that," Bokuto laughs into his glass, which earns him a less than subtle elbow jab from Akaashi. 

"Akaashi!" Bokuto cries in indignation at the incredibly mild assault.

"Anyway," Atsumu mentally scrambles. "Do you want another drink, Sakusa? Ya feeling okay?"

"No."

Oh, he's getting murdered today, Atsumu knows this. He should send a message of farewell to Osamu and congratulate him on becoming an only child soon. Thankfully, Akaashi saves the day.

"Sakusa-san, would you mind helping me in the kitchen with something?" Akaashi asks, and Sakusa, who was raised ever so properly, agrees immediately and excuses himself from Atsumu and Bokuto as he follows Akaashi. 

"Tsum-Tsum, what are you trying to do with Sakusa?" Bokuto frowns, confusion painting his face into a particularly sad expression. Even his hair seems puzzled.

"Don't tell anyone," Atsumu starts, knowing full well that Bokuto will tell everyone, except Atsumu has had a few more drinks in the process of trying to get keep an eye on Sakusa, so remembering that secrets and Bokuto don't go together has flown out the window. "But at Shouyou’s party a few months ago, Sakusa was a little tipsy and ya know what he told me?"

"What?" Bokuto's eyes are wide with attention waiting for the revelation that Atsumu will provide him with.

"Omi-kun told me he's been in love with Ushijima since he was 13-years-old."

"NO WAY!" Bokuto yells and the other party attendees turn to see why the birthday boy is yelling. 

"No way, what?" Tomas asks as he saunters over to the two and puts an arm around Bokuto's shoulders. "What did you do to shock our Bokuto-kun, Atsumu?"

Bokuto turns to look at Tomas, and Atsumu sees it as if in slow motion, Bokuto's mouth opening to form Sakusa's name, and Atsumu knows he needs to say something now otherwise everyone is going to know that Sakusa is in love with Ushijima. He'll need to talk to Akaashi later about how absolutely vital it will be to sit Bokuto down and tell him to never repeat this information. Atsumu supposes that means Akaashi will have to know the burden of the secret as well, but it's not like Bokuto would ever keep it from him to begin with. So, Atsumu yells out the first thing his brain can come up with instead.

"I told Bokuto I've been working on 100 push-ups in one minute!" Atsumu cries a little breathless from the anxiety that suddenly skyrocketed through his body.

"Oh?" Tomas raises an eyebrow. "Next practice you'll have to show us.

Fuck, Atsumu is an idiot, why couldn't he have said something less painful on him? "Yeah sounds good," Atsumu winces internally.

Akaashi abruptly appears at their side looking a tiny bit worried. "Atsumu-san, can you come help me?" 

"Yes," Atsumu will take anything to get away from this Bokuto and Tomas situation, and he prays to any higher being that Bokuto will know to not say anything with the way Atsumu almost lost it over how close Bokuto got to spilling the classified information of Sakusa's love life.

As they walk to the kitchen, Akaashi looks at Atsumu with worry. "I turned around and Sakusa pulled out the cleaning supplies from under the kitchen sink and said he would help clean the apartment. That's not even what I wanted him to help with, but now I can't get him to relinquish the spray bottle and sponge he's attached himself to."

"Oh, good," Atsumu sighs, once again thinking about Aran and how he was so strong to deal with Inarizaki. 

The two enter the kitchen and there Sakusa is, standing with gloves on and a sponge scrubbing at the counter next to the sink. Atsumu opens his mouth to tell him to stop, but then there's the sound of the doorbell and Bokuto's heavy steps as he runs to answer the door. He can't see who's there from where Atsumu is standing in the kitchen, but his question is answered by Bokuto's booming voice. 

"Hey, hey, hey!" Bokuto cries. "Kageyama-kun, Hoshi-kun, and Ushiwaka-san!" 

There's a sound of a bottle falling, and Atsumu whips his head back around to see the cleaning spray that Sakusa has been holding has clattered to the floor. The sponge then gets smacked down to the counter. Atsumu and Akaashi watch in silence as Sakusa also pulls off the gloves before calmly going to the sink and washing his hands. Finally, he turns around, ignores the two of them standing there, and walks back out into the main area of the apartment. 

Akaashi gives Atsumu a concerned look, but he simply shrugs and follows Sakusa. When they reach the living room, Kageyama is relaying how the Adlers won their game, and everyone is congratulating them. Meanwhile, Sakusa is making a beeline to where Ushijima is standing slightly to the side of Kageyama and Hoshiumi. When Ushijima sees Sakusa, his eyes light up briefly, and Atsumu swears he sees that typically impassive face soften briefly.

Sakusa goes up to Ushijima and starts talking to him as if he had not been clutching cleaning supplies not a minute ago. Hoshiumi comes over to Atsumu and nods over at where Ushijima and Sakusa have now wrapped themselves into their little bubble of two. "So, did you get him to talk?" he asks. "You didn't reply to any of my messages."

"Nope," Atsumu sighs. He had been too preoccupied with preventing Bokuto from causing an incident to even think about looking at if Hoshiumi had contacted him. "He started to clean."

"You failed again," Hoshiumi shakes his head in dismay.

"Why me?" Atsumu grumbles. "You're part of this."

"I did my part by getting Wakatoshi-kun here," Hoshiumi argues. "You were supposed to get Sakusa talking, which you did not."

"Bokuto knows," Atsumu decides to admit his other failure.

Atsumu watches as Sakusa notices that one of Ushijima's fingers is still taped from the game. He takes Ushijima's hand into his own and pulls it close to his face in order to examine it, looking extremely concerned. 

"Oh my god, it's covering a papercut he got on Coach Suzaku's notes," Hoshiumi groans quietly. 

Sakusa looks like he might almost kiss the finger, which is wild for so many reasons that Atsumu cannot even begin to count. He chooses to turn away from the scene no one else apparently notices of the not-yet-couple. "Hoshi-kun, want a drink, or seven?"

\---

EJP Raijin and the Tachibana Red Falcons have a game against each other in Tokyo, and somehow Hinata being the absolute sunshine he is convinces most of MSBY and Schweiden to go watch the match together, which very much involves MSBY taking the train up to Tokyo. Atsumu jumped on the opportunity immediately because he’ll get to see Suna after ages, and Sakusa had already been planning on going to see his cousin, Komori, play. As soon as Atsumu found out about Sakusa also going, he messaged Hoshiumi immediately.

_ miyaa: I have an idea for phase three _

_ hoshiumik: what is it? _

_ miyaa: Are ya goin to the game? _

_ hoshiumik: EJP and the Falcons? Yeah with Ushijima and Kageyama _

_ miyaa: Good _ _  
_ _ miyaa: Osamu is going to be sellin onigiri at ejp vs the falcons _ _  
_ _ miyaa: He’ll help us i know it _

_ hoshiumik: How?? With heart-shaped onigiri?? _

_ miyaa: That’s actually a good idea _

_ hoshiumik: I’m starting to think you’re an idiot _

_ miyaa: SHUT YER TRAP HOSHI-KUN _

_ hoshiumik: COME UP WITH BETTER IDEAS _

_ miyaa: WHAT ABOUT YOU??? _

_ hoshiumik: I’LL COME UP WITH SOMETHING ONCE THIS FAILS _

_ miyaa: FINE _

_ hoshiumik: GOOD _

Atsumu takes a deep breath before the next message.

_ miyaa: I’ll talk to Osamu and get back to ya okay? _

_ hoshiumik: Don’t fuck this up miya  _

Atsumu will do no such thing. Together with Osamu, Atsumu is always unstoppable—minus the times they end up fighting but that doesn’t count. Now, they also have Hoshiumi on their side, so they have to be extra powerful. This will work.

The next thing Atsumu does is call his brother. 

“What?” Osamu picks up after two rings but offers less than a loving greeting.

“What do you mean ‘what’? Is that how you answer the phone?” Atsumu replies, affronted. 

“Yeah, when it’s you.”

“Shut yer trap!” Atsumu sometimes wonders why having a civil conversation with each other is a rare thing they save for special occasions.

Osamu sighs. “Whatever, what’s up?”

“I need yer help,” Atsumu explains. “Hoshi-kun and I have a plan, well, we’ve had plans, but now I have a new plan and I need yer help with it.”

“A plan for what?” Osamu asks.

“You know Omi-kun and Ushijima-san? Yeah, well, Omi-Omi has been in love with Ushijima since he was 13-years-old,” Atsumu tells his twin. “Can ya believe it?”

Osamu remains silent for a few seconds. “Why are you tellin’ me this?”

“Because Hoshi-kun and I are trying to get ‘em together!” Atsumu exclaims.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? And how do you know Sakusa-san feels that way?” Atsumu can hear the scowl on Osamu’s face through his displeased voice over the phone.

“Because Omi told me himself!” Atsumu cries, throwing his arms up in frustration. “At the party Shouyou-kun threw a few months ago, Omi-kun told me while he was drunk.”

“Does he know he told you?” Osamu asks.

“No, he doesn’t seem to remember, but still, I can’t stand by watchin’ him pine away after Ushiwaka-san!” Atsumu explains. “As his friend and teammate, I have to help. Hoshiumi feels the same way because he thinks it’s mutual.”

“I still don’t think this is a good idea,” Osamu sighs. “But what do ya need from me?”

“I need you to sell onigiri,” Atsumu informs his twin.

“I already do that, dumbass,” Osamu scoffs.

“Let me finish!”

Twenty minutes later, Atsumu successfully convinces Osamu to help Hoshiumi and him in the next stage of Operation Ushijima and Sakusa Are In Love.

When the group of MSBY and Schweiden players arrive at the venue hosting EJP vs the Falcons, Hoshiumi does his part to excitedly drag everyone away from getting concessions ahead of time in favor of finding seats first. Atsumu then agrees with Hoshiumi, which snowballs into Bokuto and Hinata going along with the idea that they all need to get good seats first before they can even think about buying food and drinks. 

Frankly, Atsumu thinks they should all thank Hoshiumi and him for the idea because they end up locating pretty good seats with a nice center view of the game that will be played below them on the court. Once everyone gets settled down, Atsumu immediately looks around at everyone and sees that as usual Ushijima and Sakusa have indeed taken seats next to each other, and because of Sakusa's aversion to people, they're sitting at the end of the row. Perfect.

"Onigiri sound good to everyone? Osamu's sellin' today,'' Atsumu announces.

Bokuto gasps. "Myaa-sam is here! We gotta go now before they sell out."

Atsumu puts a hand up to stop Bokuto from getting up. "Don't worry, 'Samu's settin' some aside for all of us. We just have to pick it up." He leans over to where Ushijima and Sakusa are quietly sitting and observing everyone around them. 

Ushijima does it as a habit, always choosing to actually look at people instead of sticking his nose in his phone. Sakusa just doesn't like people and makes sure they all maintain their distance. Ushijima is sitting at the end of the row and Sakusa next to him, most likely so Sakusa can make a quick getaway if he needs to but then Ushijima acts as the buffer so no one walking down the aisle can collide accidentally with Sakusa. Atsumu kind of hates that he knows that's exactly why Ushijima sat there like a goddamn gentleman. He has to be in love with Sakusa, there's no other reason.

"Hey, Ushiwaka-san," Atsumu calls for him. "Omi-kun, since yer at the end of the row, can you go find Osamu to get the onigiri?"

Ushijima immediately nods and starts to stand, but Sakusa frowns at Atsumu instead. Sakusa reaches up and grabs Ushijima's wrist, stopping him from unfurling from his seat anymore. "Why should we go? He's your brother," Sakusa asks, annoyance dripping in his words.

"Fair," Atsumu concedes. "But yer at the end of the row, so it's easier for you two to get up and come back than the rest of us."

Sakusa scowls and lets go of Ushijima's wrist, and the Schweiden spiker is staring down at his wrist as if something magical just happened. That also is fair, Atsumu supposes, as Sakusa never touches anyone unless absolutely necessary, and the only moment from memory that Atsumu remembers Sakusa laying a hand on someone else was to pull Barnes in front of him as a shield one time during summer practice when Hinata and Bokuto brought water guns. 

No other argument gets raised as Sakusa then rises from his seat, and he and Ushijima depart for their onigiri mission. Now, all they have to do is wait for Osamu to do his part in the plan. The bag of onigiri will be incomplete, and when Atsumu texts his thanks to Osamu upon Ushijima and Sakusa's return, Osamu will inform him there is more for them, so then the in-love couple will be once again sent on the task of picking up the other bag. But alas! They will then realize they're missing napkins and beverages, so the duo will make another trip. 

When planning, Hoshiumi and Atsumu discussed the fact their teams are based fairly far away from each other and time together for Sakusa and Ushijima must be hard to come by, so they needed to jump on any and all opportunities to get the two together. Having this joint team trip to the game was the first part and the second is getting some alone time for the two, which Atsumu realized could be accomplished by sending them on little errands. He hoped that they weren't just silently walking together to the Onigiri Miya stand and coming back but actually having some conversations and taking advantage of the time together—well, at least Sakusa should be since he's the one definitely in love. Atsumu remembers the look Ushijima gave Sakusa's hand on his wrist and adjusts the thought to, no, they're both in love and better be doing something.

Atsumu's ponderings get pulled away from the love lives of Sakusa and Ushijima and to Bokuto telling everyone about the new blocking play he heard that Suna and the other EJP blockers had apparently been using at recent games. 

When Ushijima and Sakusa return with a bag of onigiris, they're met with cheers from the Adlers and Jackals players. Atsumu hands off the bag to Hoshiumi and makes a show of texting Osamu his thanks for the food. 

"Oh, no!" Atsumu declares with all the theatrics he can. "Sakusa-san and Ushijima-san," Atsumu sends a little pout at them. "Do ya think you could go make another run to Osamu?" he asks.

"Why?" Sakusa crosses his arms and the lines next to his eyes convey a scowl hidden by his mask. 

"There's apparently another bag that he forgot to give to ya," Atsumu explains.

"More onigiri!" Bokuto punches a hand into the air. Stray rice grains stick to the corners of his mouth.

"Of course, Miya-kun," Ushijima nods and stands up. "Kiyoomi?" he looks down at Sakusa. "I can go alone if you do not wish to go again."

"No," Sakusa huffs and stands. "I'll go with you."

Once the two have walked away, Hoshiumi leans into Atsumu. "He didn't even use an honorific saying Sakusa-san's name."

Atsumu had not noticed. "I told ya, they're close."

"But no honorific close?" Hoshiumi raises his eyebrows. "Atsumu-kun, maybe we should talk to them?"

"No!" Atsumu cries louder than intended. Everyone around them, including his teammates and their accompanying Adlers comrades, turn to look at him. "Sorry, just got too into our volleyball conversation!" Atsumu tries to laugh it off. "Hoshi-kun, remember when we tried that before? It doesn't work. They need this more direct approach."

"There's nothing direct about this approach," Hoshiumi raises an eyebrow at him.

Atsumu waves him off. "It'll work. It will."

Game time is creeping closer when Ushijima and Sakusa finally return from their second run. Atsumu supposes they can't go again otherwise it'll clash with the start of the game. When the two approach their teammates, Ushijima's face looks flat, which is saying something

"Something happened," Hoshiumi whispers to Atsumu. It's not a quiet whisper; Atsumu doesn't think Hoshiumi knows how to be anything less than medium-loud.

"Shut yer trap," Atsumu snaps. "Maybe, I'll ask Osamu."

Onigiris and water are distributed between everyone, and Atsumu gets some pleasure from seeing Sakusa even has an onigiri in one of his hands. No one can resist his brothers cooking, and that's something Atsumu feels stupidly proud about. That pride quickly turns into rage at how much of an idiot Osamu also happens to be sometimes.

_ miyaa: Hey how were Omi and Ushiwaka acting when they came to you this second time _

_ miyaonigiri: Oh yeah sorry I might have said something _

_miyaonigiri:_ Atsumu takes a deep breath through his nose.

_ miyaa: What the fuck did ya say _

_ miyaonigiri: I asked if they were dating _

"WHAT THE FUCK, OSAMU!" Atsumu yells at his phone even though his dumbass of a twin isn't there to hear it. 

"Atsumu!" Meian admonishes him, and Bokuto has leaned away in fear, one onigiri in each hand.

"You okay, Atsumu-san?" Hinata asks with knit brows.

"Yeah, everything okay?" Hoshiumi frowns. 

Atsumu glances over at Ushijima and Sakusa, and it almost feels like the two are leaning away from each other. "Yeah, it's all good, sorry, just dumb twin stuff! No worries!" He turns back to his phone.

_ miyaa: WHAT WHY WHAT DID THEY SAY _

_ miyaonigiri: Not much _

Atsumu can just picture Osamu shrugging while typing the unhelpful reply, and then another message comes in.

_ miyaonigiri: They kind of both started to stutter and not say anything really. Sakusa just managed to thank me for the onigiri before making Ushijima pick up the bag, and they left. _

Atsumu sighs at the message and shoves the phone under Hoshiumi's face so he can read what his brother hath wrought. 

"Damn," Hoshiumi says flatly. "I told you the plan was bad."

"But not because of Osamu!" Atsumu argues. The two teams are filing onto the court for warmups, and the atmosphere of the gym surges.

"You know, Atsumu-san, I'm beginning to think that both you and Osamu-san have no tact whatsoever," Hoshiumi concludes.

"As if you do!" 

"I do!"

"Stop arguing!" Hinata of all people admonishes them. "We're here to support our friends!" He points to where Aran just spiked a practice ball.

"Yer right," Atsumu sighs and looks over at the couple under question, and his jaw drops. It all happens in a literal blink of an eye that Atsumu doesn't even know if what he experiences is real. Sakusa's mask is pulled down so he can eat the onigiri, and his face is turned to Ushijima as it appears they are okay now and having a conversation about something. Bokuto and Meian are talking next to them, so it's not like they're even paying attention to the oblivious lovebirds at the end of the row. A stray grain of rice appears to be stuck to Sakusa's face, and without a thought, Ushijima raises a hand and wipes it away with a napkin. Is that a small yet fond smile on Ushijima's face as he does it? Sakusa turns away from him, and there's no way the blush on Sakusa's face is a result of heat in the gym.

Atsumu tears his eyes away from what he barely believes he witnessed as the two teams line up. At least now he can turn his attention to something he understands: volleyball.

\---

There are only two ways the next plan can go: very good or so disastrously bad someone might actually have to leave Japan. There is no middle ground here, Atsumu is certain.

"Do you have a deathwish?" Hoshiumi asks.

"No," Atsumu glowers. They just attended an all-day meeting about the Japan National Team, and now everyone is at dinner together at a very nice restaurant. Atsumu should probably tell Osamu about this place, but that can happen later. Atsumu and Hoshiumi took seats at the end of the long table together so they could continue conspiring, no, planning. Ushijima and Sakusa are sitting next to each other—no surprise there—near the middle of the table and are in conversation with Aran across from them.

"Are you feeling okay, then?" Hoshiumi presses. "Because what you proposed is going to actually end disaster. Pretty sure." Hoshiumi sticks a large piece of grilled meat into his mouth and chews thoughtfully. Atsumu waits to see what the spiker says after his protein contemplation time. "But I guess it could work. Maybe."

The one and only Oikawa Tooru will be in Japan next week, and Hinata has arranged for a get-together with him and the Japan National Team members who knew him at a Brazilian themed bar he found in Tokyo. Everyone was already gathered in the city because of National Team meetings, so it worked out. Atsumu had heard that even though there was some tension between Oikawa and, well, everyone when they were in high school, things had mellowed out. One of the particularly interesting stories was about how Ushijima thought that Oikawa should have attended his high school and set for him. Atsumu wondered if there were any other feelings there. Perhaps a crush? Or Ushijima had also already been helplessly in love with Sakusa back then as well?

Atsumu's plan was simple: get Sakusa jealous of Oikawa. Hinata had disclosed to Atsumu that Oikawa and Ushijima had softened their tense relationship thanks to Iwaizumi's intervention, so they were fairly friendly now.

Maybe Atsumu did secretly have a deathwish.

The day of the small party arrives, and Atsumu enters the bar, the sound of music washes over him, and the colorful decor adds to the spirited atmosphere. 

"Atsumu!" Hinata and Bokuto yell his name at the same time, and Atsumu throws his hands in the air to greet them back. 

"You must be the infamous Oikawa Tooru," Atsumu says to the man standing with arms crossed behind Bokuto and Hinata, who rushed up to tackle Atsumu as if they hadn't seen him a few days earlier. 

"My reputation precedes me, I'm sure," Oikawa gives a wry smile and sticks out his hand. 

"It's mostly good now, I think," Atsumu jokes and shakes his hand. "Miya Atsumu."

"Ah, my Japan National Team rival, huh," Oikawa's eyebrows rise. 

"I guess you could say that," he shrugs at the other setter. "Still, nice to meet ya." He gives one of his best smiles, both to be friendly and to try and instill a good image of himself to Oikawa in case this evening goes poorly.

"You, too," Oikawa laughs.

A few minutes go by of the four players talking to each other and exchanging brief updates on what they've been up to lately, and they eventually find a table to sit down around. The person who Atsumu had secretly been waiting on to show up finally appears and he is quick to call him over.

"Ushiwaka-san!" Atsumu gestures at him. "Come on!"

Ushijima walks over to the table and Atsumu, who had placed himself next to Oikawa on purpose, moves aside to allow Ushijima to take a seat next to the former Aoba Johsai setter. 

"Hello," Ushijima politely bows his head in greeting to everyone. 

"No need to be so formal, Ushiwaka," Oikawa teases. "We're all friends here."

Much to Atsumu's surprise, the corner of Ushijima's mouth rises slightly. "That is true, Oikawa."

Oikawa cracks a wide smile. "That's more like it, now, Ushiwaka, what have you been up to?"

Atsumu sits back as Ushijima tells them about the work he's been doing with Iwaizumi, who will be returning to Japan from working with Ushijima's father tomorrow, on developing training schedules. Ushijima had taken a surprising interest in maintaining the well-being of the team, which led to some collaboration with Iwaizumi, who would be the Japan National Team's athletic trainer. 

As Ushijima concludes talking about Iwaizumi's work with the National Team, the doors to the bar open and their final team member to arrive drags himself into the establishment. Sakusa pushes his windswept curls out of his eyes as he steps inside and spots the seated group. Atsumu's gaze drifts over to Ushijima just in case, and he's met with the softest expression melting across the man's face at the sight of one Sakusa Kiyoomi in all black and mask obscuring most of his face. 

_ Forgive me, Kita-san, _ Atsumu thinks to himself, closing his eyes and barely stopping himself from lifting his head to look at the ceiling.  _ I'm not exactly committin' a sin, but god does it feel like I will be. _

"Kiyoomi-kun," Ushijima raises his hand to signal to Sakusa where they're seated as if Sakusa's eyes hadn't already narrowed in on where they were with his patented Ushijima Vision. 

Some shuffling occurs as the men all move around to make room for Sakusa at the table, which ends with Ushijima seated between Oikawa and Sakusa. The setup is perfect. This is going to be terrible. 

Oikawa leans around Ushijima's bulk to greet Sakusa. "Hello, I'm Oikawa Tooru, I don't believe we ever met." He flashes one of those charming smiles at Sakusa, and like a smart man, he doesn't stick his hand out for a handshake.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Sakusa Kiyoomi," Sakusa nods at Oikawa. 

Well, this might be as good a time as any, Atsumu decides. Hoshiumi disappeared somewhere with Kageyama and Hakuba on the quest for snacks, and he hoped to have his partner in crime—no, not crime, a partner in an incredibly vital operation that was integral for the entire Japanese National Volleyball Team. By extension, this was significant for Japan as a nation, honestly. But Hoshiumi isn't here, so Atsumu must push on.

"That's right, the rest of ya knew each other in high school, right?" Atsumu nods at where Oikawa, Bokuto, and Hinata are sitting next to each other.

"Some friendlier than others," Oikawa comments with a wry smile.

"Oikawa-san, we could have been friends then like Bokuto-san and I were if you weren't so stubborn about being the Grand King," Hinata pouts at Oikawa.

"I'm still the Grand King, Shouyou-kun," Oikawa smirks. "And it simply wouldn't have been befitting for us to be friends then. We had to be rivals."

Atsumu leaps into the opening before he can stop himself.

"You and Ushijima-san were rivals, too, right?" Atsumu asks, resting his head on his hand and gazing at them with rapt attention.

Ushijima shakes his head. "I simply believed he should have come to Shiratorizawa where his abilities would have been even better utilized."

Oikawa scoffs. "That was all you would ever talk to me about when we saw each other, remember. You were obsessed."

"Ushijima, ya were obsessed with Oikawa, huh?" Atsumu feigns shock at the revelation. "Interestin'."

"Why is that interesting?" Ushijima frowns, and Sakusa shifts to cross his legs. It doesn't seem like an uncomfortable move, but it has Atsumu suspicions nonetheless. 

"I don't know, just interestin' that you were obsessed with Oikawa-san,” Atsumu will admit he now feels a little afraid of pushing any further. "Why was that? Just volleyball...no other reason?"

Ushijima's mouth manages to turn into an even deeper scowl. "I just thought Shiratorizawa was the better team and he should have been there, but I was young and didn't understand the importance Aoba Johsai's team and Oikawa's teammates held to him. It was a foolish lack of respect with my eyes too focused on the game and winning," Ushijima explains, and this is suddenly taking such a turn that Atsumu was not expecting. "I have apologized to Oikawa since."

"Profusely," Oikawa chuckles and takes a drink.

Atsumu doesn't know where else to go from here, and he once again finds himself wishing that Hohiumi was there to help him. The lull in the conversation leaves it open for Oikawa to direct the next topic. 

"Which, speaking of," Oikawa once again leans to look at Sakusa. "Ushiwaka told me that you have the only other wicked serve to rival his own, Sakusa-san. Is that true?"

Even though the question is directed at Sakusa, Ushijima speaks up. "It's true, I saw it first when we were in middle school and it surprised me. Kiyoomi-kun has incredibly flexible wrists that make his spikes particularly powerful. It's quite impressive."

"Yes, Ushiwaka, you've told me this, hence I was asking Sakusa-san himself," Oikawa gives a playful smack to Ushijima's shoulder. "So, Sakusa-san, please tell me about your impressive spike."

Atsumu doesn't need to hear about how Sakusa is absolutely wonderful, so he tries to surreptitiously look at his phone instead to text Hoshiumi.

_ miyaa: Where the hell are ya? _

_ hoshiumik: Getting snacks with Kageyama and Hakuba like we told you _

_ miyaa: Ya left me with Oikawa, Ushijima, and Sakusa ya scrub! _

_ hoshiumik: Bokuto and Hinata are there too  _

_ miyaa: Yes but I needed YOU for this part of the plan with Ushijima and Oikawa _

_ hoshiumik: Well don't wait for me  _ _  
_ _ hoshiumik: I don't want to be there for that train wreck _

_ miyaa: I already tried and they were just all extremely civil and talked about volleyball _

_ hoshiumik: Oh my god volleyball players talking about volleyball??? _ _  
_ _ hoshiumik: Wild _

Atsumu wonders why he has placed himself in such a situation where he's regularly victim to not only Osamu's relentless sarcastic replies but now also Hoshiumi's as well.

_ miyaa: Shut yer trap fine whatever this plan was a bust but now it's on YOU okay _

_ hoshiumik: My plan will work just you see _

When Atsumu looks back up from his phone, he sees that conversation has broken into two groups with Oikawa talking to Bokuto and Hinata and Sakusa and Ushijima, heads leaned close, discussing something else. Atsumu opens his mouth to speak and interject himself, but then Sakusa rises. "Wakatoshi-kun and I are going to get food," Sakusa announces. 

"Kourai-kun told me where he has found yakitori with Tobio-kun and Hakuba-kun," Ushijima informs them. "We'll return, but would anyone else like anything or to join?"

“I’m good,” Atsumu replies first and the others also decide to stay at the bar. With that, Atsumu admits defeat in his probably piss poor plan as Ushijima and Sakusa exit. 

“I have a question,” Oikawa leans his elbows on the table and looks between all of them. “Are Ushijima and Sakusa dating? Because I feel like they’re dating, the way they look at each other and Ushiwaka doesn’t shut up about Sakusa sometimes.”

Chaos breaks out at the table as Hinata and Bokuto start sputtering in shock. 

Atsumu wants to scream.

\---

Kourai no longer trusts Atsumu’s plans. They’ve all gone about as successfully as that time Sachirou and Kourai went to an animal shelter after school once in high school, and Kourai had to drag his best friend out of there as Sachirou didn’t want to leave all the animals. Snot was running down his face alongside tears. It was disgusting, and Kourai never lets him forget it. Much like he will never let Atsumu forget his not one, not two, but four failed plans in Operation Get Ushijima and Sakusa To Kiss and Save Japan. But now Kourai has an idea, and it’s going to work.

“That ain’t gonna work,” Atsumu had scoffed when Kourai told him a few days ahead of the start of National Team practice.

“It will, just you see,” Kourai flailed his arms at the small ramen restaurant they were sitting at. It was empty, but the owners kept looking over at the two athletes. All the National Team players were still slowly trickling into Tokyo ahead of the start of the practice season.

“Notes, though, really?” Atsumu rolled his eyes before shoving more noodles into his mouth. 

Kourai nodded furiously. “I think it’ll be nice and subtle, you know? Some cute words to each other with confessions of love and adoration. It’ll be what finally brings them together. Something about it also just feels right for the two of them, passing notes like some type of old-timey western romance.”

“But what if they both say that neither of them wrote ‘em?” Atsumu kept trying to find holes in the plan.

Kourai shrugged. “They’ll be so wrapped up in the fact there is a confession to each other and be swept up in the love that they won’t care and just go to each other’s arms, I assume.”

“Yer assumin’ a whole lot, Hoshi-kun,” Atsumu shook his head.

“Well, we wouldn’t be here if you had even one successful plan, Tsum-Tsum!” Kourai grumbled at the setter.

“Not the point. And how do ya propose to get these notes to ‘em?” Atsumu frowned, still not convinced, but Kourai would show him.

“Easy, the lockers,” Kourai replied with a confident grin.

Atsumu and Kourai spent about 20 minutes trying to draft notes they thought that Ushjima and Sakusa would write to each other to confess their love, but then it became increasingly apparent that neither of them had a way with words that would allow them to create notes that appropriately convey love.

“Absolutely not,” Kourai had taken Atsumu’s note from Sakusa to Ushijima and thrown it away. 

_ Wakatoshi-kun, I want to ride you into the sunset. _

“That’s not romantic!” Kourai cried.

“There’s a sunset!” Atsumu gasped, offended.

In the end, they did their best to copy their teammates’ handwriting to neatly write poetry verses about love they found on the internet. 

For Sakusa, from Ushijima:

_ Omoitsutsu / Nureba ya hito no / Meitsuramu / Yume to shiriseba / Samezaramashi wo _

_ Thinking about him / I slept, only to have him / Appear before me— / Had I known it was a dream/ I should never have wakened. _

For Ushijima, from Sakusa:

_ Kimi ga tame / Oshikarazarishi / inochi sae / nagaku mogana to / omoikeru kana _

_ I always thought / I would give my life / to meet you only once, / but now, having spent a night / with you, I wish that I may / go on living forever. _

“Are these a little much?” Atsumu asked.

“Never,” Kourai replied.

And this is how the two now found themselves in the locker rooms of the Japan National Volleyball Team practice gym, a place they had known since both were in high school attending the Under 19 camp, but Atsumu and Kourai had never needed to break into the lockers before.

“I thought you said you could break into the lockers?” Kourai attempted to whisper, but he’s always been bad at regulating his voice’s volume. He’s standing watch as Atsumu holds a paperclip and attempts to open up the lock on Sakusa’s locker. Mostly everyone had dispersed for their lunch break, which was the perfect opportunity for Atsumu and Kourai to sneak into the locker room and deposit their two notes. 

“Shut up, I just thought I could,” Atsumu’s ability to whisper is about as good as Kourai’s. They’ve been at this task for ten minutes now, and Kourai can’t believe his perfect plan is about to fall apart just because of Atsumu’s unwavering confidence in everything. “I really think I’m gettin’ close, and once I have this one figured out, Ushijima’s will be a piece of cake.”

“Sure, and—” Kourai cuts off what would have been an absolute banger of a burn against Atsumu when he sees shadows at the entrance to the lockers and hears the faint sound of footsteps getting louder. He can’t make out the words, but he recognizes the deep voice as that of one Ushijima Wakatoshi.

“Shit, shit, they’re coming!” Kourai does not whisper at all.

“What, who?” Atsumu whips his head to look at Kourai from where he’s sitting on his knees in front of the locker, eyes wide.

“I don’t know, it’s Ushijima and someone! We have to hide!” Kourai panics and looks around at the fact there’s nowhere to hide. 

Atsumu springs up and goes to the lockers across from Ushijima and Sakusa’s and tries pulling them open. Only one door opens on the line and Atsumu jerks his head, indicating to Kourai to follow him.

“No!” Kourai shakes his head. “We can’t.”

“There’s no other option, get in here!” Atsumu reaches for Kourai and pulls him by the shirt. Atsumu shoves himself into the locker first and then pulls Kourai in after him and closes the door as quietly as he can. 

Yes, they are two fully grown men, professional athletes no less, so fitting one of them in a locker would have been a task, but two? This was some form of torture, Kourai is sure. Atsumu presses himself as far back into the locker as he can get to leave room for Kourai, but his height means his head is bent. He shifts a little so he can see out the slots of the locker, which suddenly makes something dawn on Kourai.

“Why did we try to break into their lockers when we could have stuck the notes through the slots!” Kourai gasps at the realization.

“You’re the one who said we needed to break in!” Atsumu argues back.

“Well, that’s why there are two of us! You should have noticed,” Kourai tries to cover his oversight.

Neither of them gets the chance to continue fighting over their mistake as the people approaching the locker room finally arrive, and Kourai also shifts slightly so he can see out the middle slots of the locker at who Ushijima is with.

“I told you, it’s fine,” Sakusa is who Ushijima is with, and honestly, the two of them should have assumed that. He and Ushijima walk over to where their lockers are next to each other, and Ushjima hums as he opens his.

“It is the first week of practice, and it is important to take care now especially,” Ushijima replies. “We do not want injuries getting worse.”

“It’s not an injury, Wakatoshi, just a little jam,” Sakusa wiggles the fingers of his right hand at Ushijima as if to make a point he’s fine, but then he grimaces, which makes Ushijima frown.

“You are in pain, here, sit down,” Ushijima gestures to the benches, and there, where Kourai and Atsumu had left them in their haste, are the two poems that were going to be placed inside the lockers.

Sakusa picks up one of the pieces of paper and skims over it as Ushijima asks what it is. “Poetry,” Sakusa replies. “Whoever wrote this has very bad handwriting.”

“As with this one,” Ushijima has picked up the other paper and reads it as well. Okay, fine, maybe Kourai and Atsumu didn’t do the best job copying their teammates’ handwriting, but this was their first time foraying into the world of forgery. It’s not their fault.

“Strange,” Sakusa shrugs and tosses the papers, without care, into the trash can. Kourai admits defeat in his apparently not perfect plan.

Ushijima has now sat down on the bench, straddling it with his wide thighs. He’s holding bandage tape in his hands and pats the space in front of him. “Come on, Kiyoomi.”

Sakusa huffs and sits down facing Ushijima and reluctantly puts his hurt hand out. Ushijima gently takes it in his own large hands and brings it close to his face, turning it around and examining Sakusa’s hand as if he will be able to discover something new about it. Under the scrutiny, Sakusa’s face starts to show a blush high on his cheeks. 

It’s truly unfortunate that all Kourai and Atsumu’s plans have failed so far because Sakusa and Ushijima are painfully obviously in love with each other. 

Once seemingly satisfied with his inspection of Sakusa’s hand, Ushijima picks up the tape and starts to carefully place it around Sakusa’s middle finger. His hands move with a gentle care that feels foreign as Kourai knows them for striking down volleyballs with such a ferocity that gave Ushijima the nickname of Japan’s Cannon. Once the middle finger is done, Ushijima moves on to the ring finger and tapes it up with the same reverence. 

Kourai almost feels like Atsumu and he are intruding on a private moment, but it’s just a teammate helping another teammate out. It’s with this last thought that Kourai then realizes how absolutely wrong he is. 

After finishing the second finger, Ushijima turns his body to set the tape down behind him, which Kourai finds strange. He could just put it down between the two of them. Ushijima still holds Sakusa’s hand and once again brings it near his face to examine, but instead of a flushed face, Sakusa has a small smile. It’s a tender look that Kourai has occasionally seen from Sakusa, sent to Ushijima when he thinks no one is looking, but this is the full unfiltered gaze of what can only be classified as love.

Ushijima’s eyes flick up to look at Sakusa as he brings Sakusa’s hand closer to his face and places a gentle kiss on the fingers that he just taped up, and then he places another kiss on the fingertips. Atsumu gasps next to Kourai as Kourai’s mouth drops open in shock. 

Just when the two hiding in the locker cannot be more surprised, Ushijima uses Sakusa’s hand he’s holding to tug at Sakusa. They both have small smiles on their face, and then they move close. Kourai’s eyes go wide.  _ No way. _

There, in a locker room, Ushijima and Sakusa kiss in front of Kourai and Atsumu, unbeknownst to the couple.

Just as Kourai sees someone’s tongue poke out and lick across the other’s mouth, he cannot keep his shock in any long and yells “HUH?!” while Atsumu screams something unintelligible. Sakusa and Ushijima break apart to stare at the locker where the yelling came from, and then Kourai and Atsumu stumble out of the locker, tripping over each other and landing on the floor in a pile.

“What the fuck?” Atsumu cries from where he’s laying on his stomach with Kourai somehow sprawled on top of him.

“I think we should be asking that,” Sakusa says wryly. Ushijima is still holding his hand.

“When did, why, wait, when, you?” Atsumu stumbles over every word as he says it, not a coherent thought present.

“Are you dating?” Kourai asks as more of an accusation than a question. He’s pushing up from the floor, which is really pushing up from Atsumu. There’s an  _ oof _ below him from Atsumu as Kourai shoves him in the back.

Ushijima nods. “Yes.”

“How long?” Atsumu wheezes and sounds a little in pain from losing oxygen as Kourai continues to push on him.

“Since I was in college,” Sakusa informs them. 

The information has Kourai collapsing back down onto Atsumu, and they both let out a sound of discomfort. “But you always get so nervous when people ask or say anything about it?”

“We were trying to keep it quiet,” Ushijima explains. “We didn’t think it would be worth announcing, and we prefer to keep it private. But, we were going to tell the National Team at least this week so everyone was aware since we play together.”

“You’ve been together...for years,” Atsumu has buried his head in his arms and his words sound muffled.

“Why is this so upsetting to you?” Sakusa frowns, clearly growing agitated. 

“Because we’ve been trying to get you together!” Kourai yells.

“But we’re already together?” Ushijima replies. 

“Well we know now!” Atsumu looks up at them with narrowed eyes. “If you had just told us we wouldn’t have spent months tryin’ ta get you to confess to each other!”

“We confessed when Sakusa was in college,” Ushijima tells them.

“WE KNOW NOW!” Kourai and Atsumu yell at the same time, startling the couple. 

Atsumu starts moving to stand up, and Kourai scrambles to get up as well. When they’ve finally unfurled from the floor, Atsumu and Kourai brush the dust off themselves. “You know, fuck it, I’m never doin’ notihin’ nice for anyone ever again,” Atsumu declares.

“That seems highly unlikely, you’re a good person, Atsumu-kun,” Ushijima says, which makes both Kourai and Sakusa snort. 

“Whatever, I’m not doin’ anythin’ nice for the two of ya ever again until you like get married or somethin’,” Atsumu decides, but then he pauses and scrutinizes Ushijima and Sakusa. “You’re not married yet, are ya?”

Sakusa shakes his head, and Ushijima speaks. “We have spoken about it, but I have not asked Kiyoomi yet.”

“Well thank god,” Kourai sighs. 

“Okay, I’m goin’ to lunch, where we should have been instead of wastin’ time tryin’ to get you two to confess,'' Atsumu informs them and starts walking away. “You comin’, Hoshi-kun?”

“Yes!” Hoshiumi yells and follows Atsumu out of the locker room. 

“I want a beer, or seven, or some cake,” Atsumu declares as they walk.

“We can’t because of practice,” Hoshiumi frowns. 

“How is anyone gonna know?” Atsumu spins around to ask.

“Iwaizumi-san would know.” Kourai thinks for a moment. “By the way, I win.”

“What do ya mean ya won?” Atsumu grumbles.

“My plan worked.”

“No it didn’t?”

“Yeah huh!” Kourai jumps up and down as he walks alongside Atsumu. “They’re together now.”

“But they have been for years!” Atsumu cries.

“Yes, but we found out because of my plan,” Kourai explains.

“Your plan didn’t even work out!” Atsumu argues.

And with that, the two wander off to the cafeteria and continue bickering over how to recover from the months they spent on trying to get a couple that was already together to confess.

_ LATER _

“Do you think we were a bit mean?” Ushijima muses out loud. His eyes are on the television, half paying attention to the cooking show on, his elbow propped up on the arm of the couch and his head resting on his hand. Sakusa lays with his head on Ushijima’s lap as thick fingers play with his curls. They’re back at Ushijima’s apartment in Tokyo after an exciting day of National Team practice and teammates hiding in lockers.

“What are you talking about?” Sakusa murmurs and turns the page of the book he’s reading, relishing the feeling of Ushijima’s hands gliding through his hair softly. 

“With Atsumu and Kourai,” Ushijima explains. “We knew what they were trying to do, and I am having trouble deciding if we should have told them upfront and not made them continue their antics.”

Sakusa shrugs. “It was kind of funny, especially when Atsumu was trying to get Oikawa-san to say something damning.”

“I’m concerned with how far they could have possibly gone,” Ushijima frowns, looking down at Sakusa and no longer at the television. 

Sakusa places the bookmark at the page he’s reading and closes the book, resting it on his stomach. He reaches up to hold Ushijima’s face. “We would have stopped them if things had gotten too wild and put them out of their misery. Though I will admit, it’s almost sweet that they thought we were pining after each other.”

Ushijima grins. “They were a few years too late to catch us in that state still.” 

“Indeed,” Sakusa pulls Ushijima down as he leans up and kisses him. There’s a ring sitting on one of Sakusa’s fingers that Ushijima had taped up earlier in the day, and it shines in the fading light that streams through the window.

**Author's Note:**

> the two poems:  
> the first one is by [Ono no Komachi](https://briefpoems.wordpress.com/2020/05/02/watching-rain-brief-poems-by-ono-no-komachi/)  
> the second one is by [Fujiwara no Yoshitaka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujiwara_no_Yoshitaka)
> 
> yelling about ushisaku and other various haikyuu rare pairs on [twitter](https://twitter.com/pushclouds)


End file.
